The Business pi sb this one indd

KIKI YI
, 54, Hong Kong, 
jewellery retailer
ANIL BASU
, 35, UK, 
software analyst
JEAN-MARC SABATIER
, 
32, France, doctor
MARIKA LAANET
, 22, 
Estonia, engineering 
undergraduate
The Business PI SB THIS ONE.indd6 6
The Business PI SB THIS ONE.indd6 6
16/11/07 5:53:09 pm
16/11/07 5:53:09 pm

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7
1.1 About business
Discussion
6
In small groups discuss the questions.
1 Which countries would you like and not like to go and work in?
2 What problems do you think people who work abroad have?
3 Do you think working abroad is essential for a successful career? Why / Why not?
IN
today’s 
competitive
job market, 
not spending time abroad can 
seriously damage your chances of 
climbing the 
career
ladder. It is no 
surprise then that more and more 
graduates and professionals are 
looking for opportunities to live and 
work in a foreign country.
With record numbers of workers 
hoping to relocate, it is no longer 
enough to have done a work 
placement abroad or to speak 
a foreign language. “This is no 
longer something that makes you 
different,” says Nannette Ripmeester, 
director of Expertise in Labour 
Mobility. “It is something employers 
expect
.”
But even if you are 
a strong
candidate
, the 
application
process for foreign jobs is far 
from 
straightforward
. The EU 
has introduced the Euro CV to 
standardise application procedures 
throughout Europe, but Ripmeester 
believes that a culturally adapted 
CV is better. ‘’What do I mean by 
that? For example, in the UK, it 
is customary to add hobbies and 
interests at the bottom of the page. 
In Italy however, that information is 
not necessary.”
When you write your CV it is 
also a good idea to check whether 
a photo is necessary and whether 
an English-language CV should 
be written in American or British 
English. Another point to think 
about is whether or not employers 
will recognise your degree subject, 
especially when you have studied 
a subject, such as Wireless Network 
Systems, which doesn’t necessarily 
translate into another language and 
culture. 
You also need to consider the 
cover letter
, the first thing that an 
employer will read. Approaches 
differ from country to country: get 
the CV right but the cover letter 
wrong and you destroy your chances 
of getting 
short-listed
for interview 
because the cover letter is the first 
thing that an employer will read. The 
British usually write long letters to 
draw attention to 
relevant
sections 
on the CV, the Italians want one or 
two sentences and the French expect 
candidates to 
handwrite
detailed 
letters which may be 
analysed
by 
handwriting experts. 
When it comes to interviews, 
make sure you know about the 
work culture and understand the 
importance different countries place 
on language and speech. For 
example, the French use 
short sentences and 
hate silence, while 
Scandinavians 
have a deep 
respect for 
pauses. You may 
think these points 
are not important but by 
not paying attention, you 
are showing that you do 
not respect the 
culture
of the 
country you wish to work in. 
Making a mistake at the 
interview is something 
Sarah Hall knows all 
about. She is from 
Liverpool in the UK 
and has worked 
in Germany, 
Sweden and 
Spain. 
“My advice is be aware of ‘culture 
clash.’ In Britain there is usually 
a maximum of two interviews. In 
southern Europe they will call you 
back for a third or fourth interview. 
I lost a very good job in Spain when 
I thought they weren’t serious. I 
withdrew
my application because 
they asked me to go for a fourth 
interview. Looking back, I now 
realise they were doing as they 
always do. I behaved wrongly.”
“It’s important to show that you 
understand the working culture. 
Adapting a similar style of dress to 
your co-workers, eating the kind 
of food they eat, enjoying similar 
activities - these things help to win 
trust and respect.”
“Think of yourself as a 
cultural 
chameleon
, 
mirror
the 
kind of messages you get about 
communication and appearance. 
People like people who remind them 
of themselves, and nobody likes 
what they don’t understand.” 
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